The Book of Secrets
The Book of Secrets is an album by Loreena McKennitt released in 1997. It reached #17 on the Billboard 200.[3] Its single "The Mummers' Dance," remixed by DNA, was released during the winter of 1997–98, and peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #17 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.[4]
The album is certified double-platinum in the US.[5] It has now sold more than 4 million copies worldwide
Track listing
All music written by Loreena McKennitt. All lyrics written by Loreena McKennitt except as noted.[6]
- "Prologue" – 4:22
- "The Mummers' Dance" – 6:07
- "Skellig" – 6:07
- "Marco Polo" – 5:15
- "The Highwayman" (lyric by Alfred Noyes, abridged by Loreena McKennitt) – 10:19
- "La Serenissima" – 5:09
- "Night Ride across the Caucasus" – 8:30
- "Dante's Prayer" – 7:11
Song information
- The DNA remix of "The Mummers' Dance" was made into a music video.
- "Skellig" relates the dying words of a monk from a monastery that existed during the 6th-12th centuries on the island Skellig Michael (Great Skellig), 11.6 km west of Ireland.
- "The Highwayman" is an adaptation of the poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes.
- "Dante's Prayer" is a reference to Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.
Chart performance
Personnel
This information is directly from the sleeve notes.
- Loreena McKennitt – vocals (tracks 1,2,3,4,5,7,8), piano (track 8), keyboards, harp (track 6), kanun (track 1), accordion (tracks 4,5)
- Anne Bourne – cello (track 6)
- Aidan Brennan – acoustic guitar (track 3), mandola (tracks 4, 7)
- Martin Brown – acoustic guitar (track 5), mandolin (track 5), mandola (track 5)
- Stuart Bruce – assembled drone (track 1), vocal drone (4)
- Paul Clarvis – snare drum (track 5)
- Nigel Eaton – hurdy-gurdy (track 2,4)
- Steáfán Hannigan – bodhrán (track 5)
- Nick Hayley – serang (track 7), rebec (track 7), lira da braccio (track 7)
- Brian Hughes – oud (tracks 2,4,7), electric guitar (tracks 1,5), acoustic guitar (tracks 4,5,7), irish bouzouki (tracks 4,5,7), guitar synthesizer (track 4), classical guitar (track 6), vocal drone (track 4)
- Robin Jeffrey – Victorian guitar (track 6)
- Martin Jenkins – mandocello (tracks 3,4,5,7)
- Manu Katché – drums (tracks 1,2,4,7)
- Caroline Lavelle – cello (tracks 2,5,8)
- Rick Lazar – percussion (tracks 1,2,4,5,7)
- Joanna Levine – viola da gamba (tracks 3,6)
- Hugh Marsh – violin (tracks 2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
- Osama – violin (track 4)
- Steve Pigott – additional keyboards (tracks 3,8)
- Donald Quan – tabla (tracks 2,4,7), timba (track 1), esraj (track 1), viola (tracks 2,4,5,6,8), additional keyboards (tracks 3,4), vocal drone (track 4)
- Hossam Ramzy – percussion (tracks 2,4,5,7)
- David Rhodes – electric guitar (track 2)
- Danny Thompson – acoustic bass (tracks 2,3,4,5,7,8)
- Bob White – tin whistle (track 3), shawm (track 4)
- String Quartet:
- Jonathan Rees – 1st violin (tracks 3,7)
- Iain King – 2nd violin (tracks 3,7)
- Andy Brown – viola (tracks 3,7)
- Chris van Kampen – cello (tracks 3,7)
- Caroline Dale – string arrangements for tracks 3,6,7
- Additional string arrangements – Brian Gascoigne and Doug Riley
Production
- As listed in CD booklet:
- Produced by Loreena McKennitt; assisted by Brian Hughes & Donald Quinn
- Recorded & Mixed by Kevin Killen (recorded track 1; mixed tracks 1, 2, 5 & 7) & Stuart Bruce (recorded tracks 2-8; mixed tracks 3, 4, 6 & 8)
- Recording & mix assisted by Jacquie Turner, Justin Griffith, Marco Migliara
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig
- All songs published by Quinlan Road Music, except in Europe, South America & Southeast Asia (Quinlan Road Music/BMG Music Publishing International)
References
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| | Studio albums | |
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| | Live albums | |
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| | EPs | |
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| | Compilations |
- The Best of Loreena McKennitt (1997)
- A Mummers' Dance Through Ireland (2009)
- The Journey So Far – The Best of Loreena McKennitt (2013)
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| | Box sets |
- The Journey Begins (2008)
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| | Videos | |
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| | Singles | |
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| | Related topics | |
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[2]